Percussion instruments



Feb. 13, 1968 C, s, vy|LcoxoN 3,368,442

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PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS Filed July '15, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /VVENTR Char/e5 5 W/Coxon J. 51.00671' A rroR/ yL-Y Y,

United States Patent Otiice 3,368,442 Patented F eb. 13, 1968 3,368,442 PERCUSSIN INSTRUMENTS Charles S. Wilcoxon, 2530 .Iameston Drive, Rocky River, hio 44116 Filed .Iuiy 13, 1967, Ser. No. 653,132

6 Claims. (Cl. 811-411) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE There is disclosed herein a sound instrument for attachment to drums which comprises an apparatus for suspending said sound instrument over the drum head and making Contact therewith whereby playing the drum causes the sound instrument to play.

My invention relates to a percussion instrument and relates more particularly to an instrument having sound discs or jingles attached thereto and to the attachment of the same to a drum wherefor the sound discs or jingles are actuated by beating on the skin of the drum with drum sticks.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an attachment for a drum wherefor the drum may produce not only the normal drum sound but a tinkling or jingling sound as well.

It is a further object of my invention to provide means for attachment of said instrument to a drum whereby the same may be optionally placed in any preferred position on the drum or out of the range of the drum, by the drummer.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means for selectively adjusting the tension exerted by the sound discs or jingles on the drum head.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a percussion instrument of the type referred to which will be simple, composed of but few parts, economical in manufacture, and highly durable and etcient in use.

Other objects of my invention and the invention itself will become more readily apparent from a purview of the following description and accompanying drawings, in which drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a drum showing the sound disc instrument mounted thereon in various playing and non-playing positions;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the sound disc instrument of FIGURE 1 mounted on a drum, a fragmentary showing of the same being disclosed;

FIGURE 3 is a View taken on the line 3-3 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged and elevational view of the sound disc instrument and associated drum portions as viewed from the line 44 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of FIGURE 4.

Referring now to the drawings, in all of which like parts are designated by like reference characters, at I show a drum having the usual hoop or rim 11, the usual drum head 12 of skin or vellum, and at 13 a sound disc instrument adapted to be attachably secured as shown to said drum.

The sound instrument 13 comprises a resilient strap member 14 preferably formed in two parts 14a and 14h, said strap members being secured together by screw or other fastener means 30, upon which a tension adjustment strap member 15 is mounted. The tension adjustment member 15 and strap members 14 are secured together as by screw or other fastener means 16 preferably adjacent to the outer ends thereof as viewed in FIGURES 3 and 4, and the same are loosely secured as by screw or other fastener means 17 to a bracket 18, which as shown is of reverse U-shape, and said bracket embraces the rim of the drum as shown and is shown secured to the same by screw means 19. An adjustment screw 20 having a knurled head 21 is threaded through an opening 22 in the outer end of the adjustment member 15 and butts the resilient strap 14 with the desired tensionvas determined by the drummer.

At the inner end of the inner strap or stern portion 14]; a cross-member 23 is pivotally secured to the said inner strap as by pin means 31, a resilient washer 35 being telescoped over said pin means and disposed between the strap portion 14b and said cross-member. The said cross-member 23 carries by pins or other securing means 31 at spaced points thereon one or more metal sound discs or jingles 24 optionally disposed as desired, as shown in phantom lines in FIGURE l. The sound discs or jingles 24 shown are disposed in pairs, said discs being identical in construction. Each disc of the pair has an outwardly curved central disc portion 25, said discs being disposed in facing predetermined spacing, as best shown in FIGURES 4 and 5. As illustrated, the discs have reversely curved peripheral portions 26, and the uppermost disc is as disclosed herein provided with a relatively smaller central opening 27 than the opening 28 in the lowermost disc and, the discs being slidably mounted on a generally truncated conical spindle 29 are disposed in spaced relation. The spindle 29 is mounted by pin means 31 to the cross stem 23, at various points thereof. As shown one of the three sets of sound discs shown is mounted centrally of the cross section and one set is secured at each end of the cross stem.

A pair of generally bell-shaped drum head contacting members 32 of rubber or the like material are secured as by screw means 33 to the cross member 23 on the underside thereof and depend therefrom. Preferably, the said members are disposed between the center set of metal discs and an end mounted set of sound discs. The sound discs 24 are mounted above the cross member and the drum head members 32 below the same. The members 32 are adapted to contact with greater or less pressure the drum head portion selected, as determined by the drummers adjustment of the strap member 14, as best shown in FIGURE 3.

In operation, the sound disc instrument 13 may be mounted on the drum either in line with the center, as shown in solid lines, or angled with respect thereto and/ or one flexible strap member angled with respect to the other, and the said instrument may, if desired, as illustrated, be moved out of contact with the drum. When placed in contact with the drum, the same is played by striking the drum either with the hand or stick which causes the drum to vibrate, transmitting such vibration through the -members 32 to the cross member 23 and to the sound discs 24 loosely mounted on the spindles 29 carried thereby, the amount of vibration and tone being controlled by the adjustment of the tension on the strap. Hence not only a drumming sound but a jingling or other sound is achieved instantaneously by the drummer striking the drum either with the hand 0r drum sticks.

When the discs and drum head contacting members are suspended out of contact with the drum, as shown in phantom in FIGURE 1 at the lower left of said figure, the conventional drumming sound will be unaccompanied by any jingling sound.

While I have described my invention by referring to a certain preferred embodiment thereof, I am aware that numerous and extensive departures, changes in materials, fastening means, etc., may be made without, however, departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An instrument of the character described adapted for suspension over a drum comprising a set of spaced similarly shaped sound producing members, means supporting the same upon the drum, said means transmitting vibration of the drum head to the sound producing members.

2. An instrument of the character described herein and as claimed in claim 1 wherein the same is detachably secured to the said drum and means for selectively placing the same in playing position upon the drum head or in non-playing position relative to the same.

3. An instrument of the character described herein and as claimed in claim 1 wherein a plurality of sound disc sets are provided on a cross member pivotally secured to a tension adjustment means secured to said drum.

4. An instrument of the character described herein and as claimed in claim 1 wherein a plurality of pairs of sound discs are each slidably mounted in spaced relation to the opposite sound disc of said pair in non-playing position, a member depending from the mounting for said sound discs and adapted to contact the drum head and to transmit vibration therefrom t0 the discs wherefor simultaneous drum and other Sounds are produced.

5. An instrument of the character described herein and as claimed in claim l wherein the supporting means comprises a resilient member pivotally secured to a bracket detachably secured to said drum and means depending therefrom adapted to contact the said drum head, adjustment means adapted to exert Variant tension upon said resilient member and said head contacting means.

6. An instrument of the character described herein and as claimed in claim 4 wherein the mounting means for said pairs of sound discs include a substantially truncated conical means, one of said discs having a relatively small central opening therein and an opposite facing one of said discs having a relatively larger central opening therein, wherefor said discs are disposed in spaced relation to each other and supported on different diameter portions of said truncated conical means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,416,522 5/1922` Straight 84--411 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner.

GARY M. POLUMBUS, Assistant Examiner'. 

